Woman accused of crushing man to death Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:37A 24-year-old woman has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with murdering a retired taxi driver by crushing him to death with her car.

Claire Nolan, of Sheephill Green in Blanchardstown, admits the manslaughter of 67-year-old Michael Duffy but has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Her plea of guilty to manslaughter has not been accepted by the prosecution.

AdvertisementThe jury of six men and six women were told this morning that Ms Nolan was at a party in a house neighbouring Mr Duffy's son's home at Well View Grove in Blanchardstown on the night of 25 January 2008.

Ms Nolan had parked her red Nissan Micra car in the driveway of the house where the party was going on.

At some point a row erupted between people who were at the party and Mr Duffy's son, Francis.

Francis Duffy called the gardaí and also called his father who arrived at the house. The row calmed down but erupted again in the early hours of the morning.

The jury was told that Ms Nolan got into her car and reversed rapidly out of the driveway hitting Michael Duffy's car and sending it across the road where it crashed into a pillar.

She then drove at speed into the driveway of Francis Duffy's house, through the closed gates and right up to the house.

She hit Michael Duffy with her car and crushed him to death.

The court was told that she then reversed the car out of the driveway and drove off. It was set on fire within about 20 minutes.

The court heard there was no suggestion that Michael Duffy had done anything wrong or was in any way involved in the row.